Films With Black Focus

Diana Dill and Eva Patalas are facilitating this series. Please watch the film on your own and join us for the discussion. We will talk about what we learn about the experience of Black people in America and beyond and our reactions to what we learn. This is not an expert-run group, but rather a facilitated group of movie-watchers interested in educating themselves about the black experience. 

Fall movies:

1. 9/24/22 - Hidden Figures (2017)- Theodore Melfi - Three brilliant African American women at NASA -- Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson -- serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the         launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world. (Amazon, Disney, Apple TV)  10/15/22 - Da 5 Bloods (2018)- Spike Lee - Four African American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide. (Netflix)   
2. 11/19/22 - Selma(2014)- Ava DuVernay -  Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated with President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. (Amazon, Apple TV)  
3. 12/17/22 - Straight Outta Compton (2016) - F. Gary Gray - In 1988, a groundbreaking new group revolutionizes music and pop culture, changing and influencing hip-hop forever. N.W.A's first studio album, "Straight Outta Compton," stirs controversy with its brutally honest depiction of life in Southern Los Angeles. With guidance from veteran manager Jerry Heller, band members Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren navigate their way through the industry, acquiring fame, fortune and a place in history. (Amazon, Apple TV)